


The Lonely Hearts Club

by thankyoumadam



Category: Original Work, She Loves Me - Bock/Harnick/Masteroff
Genre: F/M, Im not sure if im gonna add Arpad or kodaly or anyone else yet, Mia is Amalia, and Elena is Ilona, but im having fun writing soooo, its pretty easy to see but Jordan is Georg, technically all the characters are OCs bUT its basically me changing the names to be more modern, this is basically just a modern she loves me AU, this is just a mess LOL
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27820255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thankyoumadam/pseuds/thankyoumadam
Summary: Mia Balash is a new student at Valley High, who's hopes of having a productive first year are soon crushed - after developing a strong rivalry with classmate and sworn enemy, Jordan Nowack.Jordan, meanwhile, has his own problems to deal with - using the Lonely Hearts Club app as an escape. There, he communicates with 'Dear Friend', a lovely girl he shares all of his thoughts and feelings with.Mia uses the Lonely Hearts Club too, expressing her love of writing through the apps 'mailing' system. She's positive her 'Dear Friend' is the one for her.Jordan and Mia are bitter rivals through and through - or so they think...
Relationships: Amalia Balash/Georg Nowack, Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10





	1. Oh IM the one?

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so this idea came to me a while ago - when I had a faux-proposition to make 'Lonely Hearts Club' into the next cheesy Netflix rom-com. But I realized that it could actually be developed into real story, and with no one else to write it for me - I just went and did it myself. The basic premise is the exact same as 'She Loves Me', which as I'm sure you know, is my favorite musical. I probably wont throw in many 'plot-twists' or deviate too far from the original storyline, so I guess you can look at this as a modern She Loves Me AU! The characters will display more or less the same qualities as their predecessors - and I will likely re-use many of my favorite lines from the show throughout this story! 
> 
> This is my first time ever writing a fic, so constructive criticism and commendation are equally appreciated :) Ill see where this goes - if it gets some recognition and I enjoy the writing process, then stay tuned! If I loose interest and motivation,,,, sorry in advance LOL!
> 
> If you came from either my Tumblr (@dearamaliabalash) or my instagram (@miss_amalia_balash) hello! and thanks for coming! :) If you aren't already - you can follow me on either of those accounts for more she loves me related content.

It was another perfectly awful day for Mia Balash, a senior at Valley High Private School, as she sat down and awaited the verbal barrage of insults she would soon hear from her classmate and sworn enemy, Jordan Nowack. 

She had given up trying to be civil with someone who can only be described as the devil, a long time ago. Jordan was currently engaging in one of her least favorite games, in which he directed a penetrating stare towards her until he elicited a reaction. Usually she'd do her best to ignore him, but she was feeling especially irate today and didn't have the willpower to hold in a snarky comment. 

“What are you looking at?” Mia sneered. 

“Nothing much.” Jordan retorted in a cool and even tone. He knew _exactly_ how to get under her skin, much to Mia’s dismay. Although, she _did_ have that one coming. 

Their rivalry had started only a few months prior, when Mia had transferred into Valley High, after receiving a scholarship to attend the prestigious private school. She had worked hard to edge her way into this school, hoping to be surrounded with like-minded individuals who had a thirst for knowledge, a stark contrast to the dimwitted individuals that the public high school was full of. Mia would be the first to admit that she was, by dictionary definition, a scholar. She loved all things academic, and was eager to find a school that would bring out her full potential. She had dreams of one day becoming a writer, so she was especially looking forward to her english and literary courses. But when she became acquainted with the _eve_ r so lovely Jordan, all hopes of having a productive first year at Valley High were soon crushed. She wasn't sure what his problem with her was exactly, but she had a sneaking suspicion that jealousy and competition was playing a large role. 

“What did you get on your paper?” Jordan asked, the same flippant tone present in his voice. He was slowly twirling his pencil around his middle and ring finger - a sure sign that he had received a high score. 

“If you _must_ know, I did very well.” 

“Define very well.”

“Figure it out, you're the one with high honors.”

“Ah, so you've been hacking into my gradebook - nice to know Mia. I didn't take you for a techie.”

“I didn't _hack_ into your gradebook _Jordan.”_ Mia composed her figures before continuing. “It comes out in the paper each quarter, who gets high honors. As I was looking for my name, I just happened to stumble across yours. A miracle you got in really, if you ask me.” 

“Oh, my bad, you're not a hacker, just a stalker. I see” He said, clearly enjoying the banter - well knowing he had the upper hand this morning. Or so he thought.

“No Jordan” she said, a bite to her voice as she got louder “just seeing who my competition is, not that I need to worry about it. _I’m_ not the one who got into this school just because my daddy paid for half of this building. I'm sure that would make almost _anyone_ resentful.” Mia could see that she struck a nerve. One surefire way to get to Jordan no matter what the subject, was to poke at the fact that his admittance to Valley High was largely based on his father's large donations made yearly to the school. 

“You know as well as I do that I am _just_ as hardworking - no, even _more_ hardworking than half this stupid school.” He stood up from his chair and started walking towards her desk, getting almost all of the classes attention. “I'd say you're jealous.” 

“Jealous?? Oh now you're just being ignorant. I would rather have a penny to my name than live the life you lead. Money doesn't make you a smarter, or _better_ person. Clearly.” Mia countered, gesturing to Jordan, whose face was turning redder by the second. Now the entire class was staring at them - the only person oblivious to the noise was the substitute teacher, who appeared to be taking a nap under his large aviator shades. 

Jordan seemed to be at a loss for words, which was a rare occurrence. Humiliated, he ran out of the room, clearly upset. 

“Wait- Jordan!” Mia called after him, feeling bad for her outburst. “Jordan!” He continued to stomp down the hallway. “Jordan,,, I didn't mean _all_ those things.” 

Jordan whipped around to face her “No Mia, you _did -_ you most certainly did mean every last one of those things. I know sometimes I get under your skin, but I certainly didn't deserve... whatever _that_ was.” Mia thought she saw tears threatening his eyes. She really _didn't_ mean to let it get that far, and looking at him now, she felt terrible. 

“You know what, you're right. It-it was wrong, what I said earlier.” She took a nervous breath. “Can we have a truce?” she continued, holding out her shaking hand. 

“Of course, anytime, after all - _you're_ always the one who starts things!” He said, gripping her hand like a vice. His deep brown eyes locked with hers, and Mia found it hard to look away. 

“Oh IM the one?! That a pretty bold statement you're making there Jordan, although - I'm not sure why I expected anything different.” She pulled her arm from his grasp and gave him one final stare before walking away. She needed to clear her head, and fast. 

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖️

Jordan turned away from Mia the second she left, not bothering to wa️tch her stomp down the hallway. He didn't understand how anyone could _possibly_ be so rude. Her usual torments aren't too painful, but today she really crossed the line. And to imagine she thinks _he_ is the bad guy. 

Figuring no one would miss his presence, Jordan walked outside to sit in his car for the remainder of class. As he slumps down in the driver's seat of his new car, Jordan’s fingers find the Lonely Hearts Club app without hesitation. He almost looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one can see him - always making a point to check he's alone when composing his letters, for fear that someone finds out he used the app for anything other than pranks. Although that's what Jordan initially started using the app for, he had made a separate account that none of his friends knew about soon after his life started to fall apart. For about 5 months, Jordan had been using the app to communicate with ‘Dear Friend’ - the name of each anonymous user on the Lonely Hearts Club. 

It had come at the right time for Jordan - his parents were working through a messy divorce, and his loneliness paired with his love for writing resulted in, _whatever this is_. He knew this much about ‘Dear Friend’: She was the same age as he was, within the same area as he was, and shared his love of writing - among other things. Jordan had spent the first few months of their correspondence daydreaming about what she looked like, wondering if they'd already met - and just didn't know it. Although he's positive they haven't, Jordan often thought about if they'd get along in real life. 

He used the app at times like these, when the stress levels were high, and he needed an escape. Jordan started to compose his next letter, spilling his frustrations over Mia to Dear Friend. With the way the LHC app is set up - he's only allowed to send something once Dear Friend has responded, similar to the way real letters would. And the messages don't reach the recipient right away, mimicking the postal system - both a blessing and a curse, in Jordans mind. He enjoyed the old-fashioned formatting of the app, and as someone who loved all things vintage - he could appreciate the unique feature. But sometimes, Jordan wished he could call up Dear Friend, or at least text her as would a regular _acquaintance_ . He honestly didn't know where they stood in terms of relationship, he had often thought ‘girlfriend’ was too strong a phrase - but sometimes it felt like the right term. After all, what they had was more than a surface friendship. It was _perfect_ , honestly. And though he would love nothing more than to meet her - Jordan was nervous. After the app's initial success, stories were told about how many Dear Friends were successfully paired up, and after meeting - found the so called “one”. Not that Jordan would go so far as to describe himself as a hopeless romantic, but he couldn't help but wonder if he and his letter girl would be as companionable in real life as they were on ‘paper’.

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As Mia walked down the hall, she simply couldn't bring herself to go back to class. Entering a room full of busy eyes wasn't looking like the best option. So, she retreated to the girls bathroom - only for her best friend Elena, to promptly follow. She loved Elena like a sister, but sometimes her incessant need to be up on the latest chatter between her and Jordan could be irritating. Especially when all she wanted was some time alone to sort out her feelings. But she knew Elena had the best of intentions, so mustering up the best smile she could - Mia turned to face her friend. 

“Mia, what _was_ that!?” Elena said, waving her arms around wildly and raising her perfectly manicured brows. 

“I’m- I’m not really sure,,, what that was, exactly. I mean, I guess you _could_ categorize that as our worst fight - it's certainly our most public one…” Mia finishes, somewhat still flustered from her outburst with Jordan. Elena looks over at her with concern, clearly seeing how upset this has made her. 

“Oh Mia. I’m so sorry. Jordan is the _worst_. He really is, you know that? Don't ever let him, or anyone else make you doubt your own abilities. Ever.” 

“Thank you, that means a lot, it really does. It's just-” Mia stops to take a shuddering breath “I just wish we could be friends, or at the very least be _civil_ around each other. But he's just so _difficult_ \- I really can't find it in me to just ignore what he says.” 

“I'm sure you'll figure something out, you always do.” 

“Well, I'm not so certain it will blow over that easily. I just hope- I hope everyone will forget about this and we can move on” Mia said, giving Elena a smile and hug before turning to leave. She couldn't have had enough warning to brace herself for what challenge lay ahead. 

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It was the next day, and much to Jordans relief, the whole class seemed to have forgotten his and Mias little _encounter_. He had yet to receive a reply from Dear Friend, which only made him feel worse, and his confidence walking into class was at an all time low. He gave a brief glance over at Mia, who looked just about as downtrodden as he felt. 

_That's funny_ , Jordan thought, _she didn't yell at me! Something must be up…_

Before he had a chance to comment, his english teacher had started presenting the daily objective, mentioning something about a partnered assignment. To be honest, Jordan was only half listening to what was being said, that is until he heard the groan and loud _thump_ directly to his left. Mia, it appeared, had slammed her head down on her desk in exasperation, but over what? Jordan shot her a quick glance, with a questioning look on his face. 

“Didn't you hear, idiot? Were partners for the assignment.” she said, a little louder than intended, a grimace on her face. 

“Well why don't you tell me how you _really_ feel Mia, for goodness sake? I know you despise my very _exsistanc_ -” Jordan was cut off by a loud clearing of the throat. His english teacher, along with the rest of the class, apparently - were all staring at him. 

“Is there a _problem_ , Mr. Nowack?” The teacher asked with disdain masking his voice. 

“Ah- um, no-no not a problem, we’re- I mean _I’m_ fine I’m just fi-” He's cut off again by the loud voice of his now very irritated teacher.

“Alright then. Let's continue without any further interruptions, shall we?”

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖️

Mia tried to stifle a small giggle as she watched Jordan stumble his way through a half-baked explanation in front of the whole class. She noticed his ears tinged pink when he got flustered, and his voice went up an octave or two. _It's kind of cute_ , she thought absentmindedly. _Wait, what? No no no- Cute is the_ last _adjective that would describe Jordan Nowack._ Mia flushed at the mere idea of Jordan catching her with these thoughts. She must be losing her mind. That seemed the only reasonable explanation for having _that_ kind of thinking. And about her sworn enemy, no less. 

It was only until Jordan looked over at her that Mia realized she had been staring. He fixed her with a judgemental gaze, as she quickly turned her attention to the front of the class - schooling her features best she could. This was going to be the worst assignment _ever_.


	2. A Romantic Atmosphere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia Balash is a new student at Valley High, who's hopes of having a productive first year are soon crushed - after developing a strong rivalry with classmate and sworn enemy, Jordan Nowack.
> 
> Jordan, meanwhile, has his own problems to deal with - using the Lonely Hearts Club app as an escape. There, he communicates with 'Dear Friend', a lovely girl he shares all of his thoughts and feelings with.
> 
> Mia uses the Lonely Hearts Club too, expressing her love of writing through the apps 'mailing' system. She's positive her 'Dear Friend' is the one for her.
> 
> Jordan and Mia are bitter rivals through and through - or so they think...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im back! Im actually really enjoying the writing process for this story - and this chapter was super fun to write. Thanks to those of you who read the last one! I don't have too much to say before this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it.

Today was really quite terrible. And the terrible thing had yet to even happen. Mia tried several different ways to get out of being Jordans partner - but to no avail. She was stuck with him. And he would be coming over to her house, today. Which is  _ really _ unfortunate timing, seen as how she had  _ very _ big plans later on that night. She would be meeting Dear Friend.  _ The _ Dear Friend. The mysterious boy that she had been messaging through the Lonely Hearts Club app - she was going to meet him  _ in person _ , face to face. And she couldn't be more of a nervous wreck. She had spent all day getting ready, making sure to put extra care into her appearance. Although she knew that Dear Friend had no preconceived notions of what she would look like, Mia hoped that he would find her to be  _ somewhat _ attractive. But she had other things to attend to. Jordan would be coming over any minute, and she could feel her patience already wearing thin. Sometimes she couldn't believe the effect he had on her. Not in a positive way of course, but still - an overwhelming effect nonetheless. 

She heard him before she saw him, the loud engine of his sports car barreling into the small driveway of her house.  _ Always one to make an entrance _ , she thought, rolling her eyes in disdain. Mia watched as he made his way up the stairs, a scowl plastered on his stupid face.  _ I cannot BELIEVE this is seriously happening _ , she thought as she moved to open the door.  _ At any rate, this should at least take my mind off this evening… _

Bracing herself, Mia opened the door greeted by a... speechless? Jordan? He seemed to be at a loss for words, and she saw him give her a small once over before his eyes retreated back up to her face. His cheeks tinged pink and she swore he was blushing at the sight of her. 

He let out a few sputtering coughs and managed to spit out an introduction. He shook his head, as if in disbelief. 

“Ah, uhm, h-hi hello,,, there Mia. Hi. Sorry i- wow! You look-” She saw him visibly struggle for a minute, squinting his eyes in discomfort “...... different.” he settled on, clearing his throat a bit too loud. Mia had to admit, she was enjoying this little display. Although she was more than confused for the reason - she had taken time to get ready, but she couldn't look  _ that _ different. Did she? Well she must, for  _ Jordan _ of all people to have noticed the change in appearance. 

“I'm just- not used to seeing you in uh, other clothes?” He said, clearly embarrassed. “You know, other than the uniforms? Can I come in? Please?” Jordan said, obviously wanting to move on from his performance. 

Mia decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and opened the door to let him in. 

“Uh, yes. Please. Come on in.” She said, shooting a somewhat sympathetic smile his way. 

He ducked his head a bit shyly as he entered, looking around at the modest house. 

“Nice.” He said, as he started to take off his shoes. 

“I know you're used to much more  _ lavish _ living, Jordan - so please excuse if this isn't up to your standards” Mia said, misinterpreting his meaning. 

“Must you always assume the worst of me Mia? For goodness sake, I just _got_ here!”

“Sorry! I thought you were being critical! Sue me! Oh I guess I shouldn't joke about that-”

“Enough! We have to finish this project one way or another. So just- would you just  _ quit it _ with the comments Mia? For once? I know you want a good grade on this, same as me, so let's just- try to be somewhat civil for the 2 hours we're  _ forced _ to be in each other's company. Please.” Jordan finished, clearly exhausted from his outburst. 

“I suppose that was wrong of me, to say that. Im sorry. You're right, we should get to work.” She finished, sending him a brief glance as she led the way into the kitchen, where all the supplies were laid out for them to start working. 

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖️

_ 30 minutes without a fight, that must be a record _ , Jordan thought to himself, as he and Mia continued to work on the project. He was still feeling a bit embarrassed by his obvious recognition of Mias change of appearance.  _ She did look nice, after all, _ he thought.  _ Wait- what? Where on earth did that come from…  _

“Jordan? Hello?” Mia says, waving her hand in front of his face. “You kinda spaced out there for a second.”

He readjusts his focus to Mia, clearing his throat, and trying to shake his previous thoughts from his mind.    


“Ah, sorry. I- lets get back to work.” He covered with a brief smile, turning back to the assignment.  _ Mia would have a field day with that if she knew what- Don't even  _ go _ there Jordan.  _

Another hour went by, and they were making good progress on their project. 

“I hate to uh- kick you out, but I have plans in a little bit so…” Mia said, turning to face Jordan. 

“Oh, sure. Me too. I mean- I have some plans too, I actually have to get going. I didn't realize what time it was.” He said, gathering his things up to leave. 

“Have a hot date, huh?” Mia teased, though the hurtful tone was gone, Jordan noticed. 

“Something like that. Not that it's any of your business.” 

Mia sent him a flat look. “Jordan you were doing  _ so _ well.” 

He gave a soft chuckle before continuing. “You know I can only go for so long. I can't help it.” 

“No, I suppose you can't.” She said, a grin spreading across her face.  _ One that looks almost genuine _ , Jordan thought, a similar look mirrored on his face. 

“Well, I better get going.” 

“Sure. And - Im sorry, but I really dont think Ill have time to work more on the project tonight. Like I said earlier, I have um- previous engagements...” 

“Ok,,,” He said slowly, squinting his eyes as though he was trying to decipher what she meant by  _ previous engagements _ . “That's fine. We can just finish it later.”

An awkward pause fell over the room. Mia wasn't quite convinced by his assurance to take the night off, but she said nothing in reply.

“Ok, well… I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow” He said, turning to leave. 

“See you then” Mia responded, giving a small wave. 

As Jordan made his way to his car, he couldn't help but think how well that went. Not to mention how good of a job Mias presence did to ease his nerves for his date with Dear Friend. It was a perfect distraction - just what he needed to keep his mind off the laundry list of possible things that could go wrong later that evening. Jordan, being a classic overthinker, was incredibly nervous to meet Dear Friend. It wasn't even his idea to meet up in person. Of course it had been her suggestion, she seemed so much more confident and self-assured than he could ever dream to be. But he couldn't tell her no. So, here he was - getting ready to meet the potential love of his life, trying not to freak out. They had agreed to meet up at the Cafe Imperial, a vintage-style restaurant about 20 minutes from his house. Jordan had to admit, it was the perfect spot. They both considered themselves to be “old souls”, so the antique decoration and romantic atmosphere would hopefully be enough to distract her from any foolish thing he was bound to do. 

After getting home and freshening up, Jordan got in his car and drove to the Cafe Imperial before he had time to talk himself out of it. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Dear Friend sitting all alone, thinking he had forgotten about their date. Instead of freaking himself out even more and thinking of all the ways he could screw this up, Jordan tried to think of all the things that could go  _ right _ . He already felt unworthy to be considered a confidant of hers, she was really too good for him. He prayed that she wasn't miserably disappointed to see a very plain boy sitting there, instead of this white knight he had tried to build himself to be in the letters. Wanting to create an additional distraction to win her over, Jordan had bought a necklace for Dear Friend. Since he didn't know what her name was or even her first initial, he decided upon a simple gold chain with a little envelope charm attached. Inside the charm was a miniscule piece of paper, with the words ‘Dear Friend’, written in tiny letters. He hoped that the gesture came across as ‘sweet’ and not  _ ‘im madly, deeply, completely in love with you and I spent 3 hours on Etsy trying to find you the perfect gift _ ’. But he wouldn't worry about that now, he had just pulled up to the Cafe Imperial. 

Taking a deep breath, he got out of his car and started making his way to the entrance. As he entered the foyer of the restaurant, he looked around nervously for Dear Friend. He knew very little about her physical appearance, as she wasn't one to describe herself in the letters. They had both agreed that she was to have a copy of Anna Karenina, with a rose in between the pages - while he was to be carrying his own rose- 

_ Oh no. I forgot the rose _ , Jordan realized. He had left it back in the car!! He  _ knew _ he would forget  _ something _ . As he was turning to head back to the parking lot, Jordan thought he saw a familiar face back in a secluded corner of the restaurant.  _ That almost looks like- Oh no. Oh no nonononoNO that is absolutely NOT who I think it is, and that is most definitely not- _ Jordan's heart rate picked up several beats upon noticing what was on the table beside her. It was a copy of Anna Karenina, with a rose tucked neatly in the pages. And the owner, it appeared, was none other than Mia Balash. 

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Mia had arrived a little early for her date with Dear Friend, which in hindsight - was a very bad idea. She had sat there fidgeting for over 20 mins, thinking about all the possible scenarios for which he might stand her up. Although she told her best friend Elena everything, she had kept her communication with Dear Friend locked up tight. And though she was normally pretty open with her parents, she hadn't told them either. She was afraid of being chastised for communicating with someone she'd never met, or even knew the name of. Her parents would be sure that he's a serial killer, and Elena - well, she would probably give her some sob story about a girl who got catfished by a much  _ older man _ . So, Mia had told no one of her plans to meet Dear Friend that evening, and she felt very much alone in her fear and trepidation. 

As she readjusted the hem of her dress for the 100th time, pulling out her phone to check the clock - Mia noticed someone walk in the entrance of the Cafe Imperial. Several people had come in previously, but from her peripheral vision - the young man entering the restaurant seemed to be a more likely possibility. She moved her head a bit to catch a better glimpse.  _ Is that?  _

“Jordan?” Mia said, a questioning tone in her voice. She said it loud enough so that his attention was caught from across the room. She widened her eyes in surprise. Jordan, who appeared as though he was about to leave - had an expression on his face like she had caught him in the middle of some kind of scheme. His ears were turning a bit red - as they always did when he was flustered, and she could practically feel him vibrating from the other side of the restaurant. He was looking for a way out, she noticed. 

“What are you doing here Jordan?” Mia asked, a touch of judgement tracing her voice. He had no other choice but to come up to her table. 

“Ah- well. Lets see, what am I doing here. Ok. I-” He now looked even  _ more _ flustered than before, and she was sure something was up. 

“Did you follow me here? To make sure I  _ really _ had an appointment? That I wasn't just making up some excuse for not finishing the project?” As she said the words, Mia was sure of it. Jordans whole face was starting to turn red, matching the color on his ears. Now he just looked downright  _ irate _ .

“ _ Would you just _ \- may I sit down please?” His tone switched from annoyance to faux pleasantry in the middle of his sentence. It looked as though he was making a visible effort to stay calm. Mia had to fight from rolling her eyes. It's not  _ her _ fault that a simple line of questioning would make him erupt.  _ That boy has the temper of a- _

“ _ No _ , as a matter of fact that seat happens to be reserved. Now why don't you answer my question?” Mia says, getting back to the matter at hand. She wouldn't let Jordan ruin her date with Dear Friend, and she was sure he was going to show up any minute. Jordan sits down anyways, keeping eye contact with her the whole time. 

“Jordan-”

“Ok, ok I'll answer your question. No I did not _ follow _ you here, what kind of guy do you think I am? Oh never mind. I know” 

“Please Jordan, don't be  _ difficult _ . Now I am,,,  _ meeting _ someone here, so I would greatly appreciate it if you left. Now.” She felt uncomfortable with telling him even  _ that _ much about Dear Friend. If he knew the whole story, she could just add him to the list of people that would surely mock her for having such an…  _ unconventional  _ relationship. But Jordan didn’t appear to be going anywhere.  _ How could I have expected him to be any different _ , Mia thought.  _ Well he  _ was _ so nice this afternoon… _

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖️

“No, I think I’ll stay awhile.” Jordan responded. He had only had 5 whole minutes to adjust to the fact that Mia and Dear Friend might be the same person. And he certainly didn't want her to find out his role in all of this. Didn't he? Regardless, he wanted to make absolutely sure that she was who he thought she was. 

“Who are you meeting here? A good man wouldn't leave you here waiting all by yourself..” 

“He  _ is _ a good man, and he's not _ leaving _ me here… he just, hasn't arrived yet.” She said, cheeks starting to turn a little pink.  _ She thinks I'm a good man…. _ Jordan allowed him a small smile as he thought about the mere idea of it. 

“What are you smirking about? I thought you had a date of your own? Did she leave after realizing you're an incompitant jerk?” 

Jordan ignored her stinging choice of words, “Oh so that's what this is? A  _ date _ ?” He couldn't stop himself from continuing “Do I know the poor fellow?” 

“No,” Mia responded with a sigh. She suddenly looked tired rather than angry now, and her fiery demeanor seemed to be losing steam. “And neither do I… I don't know if he's even going to show. God, I must look so pathetic” She hid her face behind her hands, and after a beat, looked through them to peer at Jordan. Suddenly he saw her deep blue eyes narrow in disgust.  _ She couldn't have figured it out this quickly- _

“ _ You _ !!! You have to go right now, what if- what if he's already  _ BEEN _ here and he's seen us together and- oh my god you need to leave.  _ Now.  _ Im serious Jordan-” 

“Mia wait-” 

“ _ No _ Jordan. I will not have you ruin the one thing that's keeping me sane, the  _ one _ thing that I've been looking forward to my whole-” She stopped short, re-composed herself before continuing “You've already overstayed your little visit here, I asked you to leave and you're still here. And- and I guess it was stupid of me to assume that maybe, just  _ maybe _ you werent a despicable human being. You were somewhat civil this afternoon- but I guess I was wrong. You're the same loathsome, detestable, obnoxious,  _ impertinent fool _ as you've always been. And I won't let you ruin this night for me, I won't!” By this point, Mia had gotten the attention of several surrounding tables, and almost the entire restaurant. Jordan really didn't know how to respond to this. If Mia  _ was _ in fact Dear Friend, he now knew that he wanted nothing to do with her. He waited a beat, looking into her eyes. His own were filled with tears, threatening to fall down his face. 

“You're right, Mia.” He said, a little shakily. He started to get up from his seat, maintaining eye contact all the while. “I should have never walked over here. Enjoy your date.” He finished, not even a small trace of sarcasm in his words. 

“Jordan, wait-” She said quietly “I didn't mean  _ all  _ those things…” 

He didn't turn back to look at her again, he was too furious, too disappointed. S _ he can't be Dear Friend, she just can't be! _ Jordan reasoned with himself.  _ She just  _ happened _ to be sitting in a cafe using a rose, as a bookmark, in December! But it's just a coincidence.  _ Jordan shook his head at his own faulty logic. Mia was Dear Friend. And he didn't know  _ what _ to think of that. 

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Mia felt miserable. After Jordan left, she almost followed him out. Even if Dear Friend  _ did _ come, she really didn't feel like talking. But, despite the judgemental glares of the fellow restaurant patrons, Mia stayed. She stayed almost  _ 2 hours _ , waiting for Dear Friend to arrive. And he never showed. At the end of the evening, the manager of the restaurant had to escort her out, they were closing early that night. 

So, Mia made her way home, dejected and utterly alone. She didn't know if she could ever write Dear Friend ever again. And as for Jordan? She felt at an even greater loss. She didn't want to make  _ eye contact _ with him, let alone speak to him. What he did at the restaurant was bad, but her degrading insults were unforgivable. As soon as she was in the safety of her room, Mia deleted the Lonely Hearts Club app and let her tears lull her to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOO I wonder what will happen NEXT!? You've probably guessed it, but the next chapter may involve some vanilla ice cream. Theres a lot of angst going on right now, but I promise, some more fluffy moments are coming... 
> 
> P.S - here is a link to the necklace that I was inspired by. If you don't think Jordan would be the type to search on Etsy for 3 hours to find his Dear Friend the perfect gift... you're wrong. 
> 
> https://capsuljewelry.com/products/custom-envelope-locket-necklace


	3. He brought me ice cream!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter is finally up!!! It took me a little while to write this scene - I wanted to make sure it was good enough to live up to the real scene in She Loves Me (cause its my fav :,) ) Anyways - lots of fluff, and maybe a few tears coming your way? I hope you enjoy!!!

Jordan sat nervously in his chair during english class the next day. He debated skipping class so that he wouldn't have to face Mia, but his report card couldnt suffer another absence. So, there he sat tapping his pencil against the desk - sure that Mia would walk in any second, ready for round two. He waited the whole class, but she never showed up. Perfect miss Mia, who never  _ ever _ was late, never  _ ever _ missed a day of school.  _ She must really be mad at me _ , Jordan thought.  _ Or maybe she's sick?  _

“Mr. Maraczeck sir? Do you know where Mia is today? I'm only asking because she's my partner for the assignment and we were supposed to finish it by Friday…” Jordan felt obliged to state a reason, he didn't want his classmates thinking he actually  _ cared  _ where she was. 

“Ah, yes, she called in sick today. You may have to finish the project on your own Jordan.” Mr. Maraczeck replied.

_God this is all my fault,_ Jordan thought to himself - miserable at the mere idea that his _Dear Friend_ was in such a dreary state because of him. _I have to find some way to win her back, although… I don't know if I could- if I could ever tell her… who I really am._ _She would be so disappointed._

Suddenly, Jordan had an idea. And maybe,  _ just maybe _ , it would work. 

As soon as school was finished, Jordan went on his way to Lindors, the local ice cream shop. He scanned all the flavors, trying to picture which one might be Mia's favorite. He went with vanilla, assuming it was a safe bet. His idea was to try and befriend Mia, if she could ever forgive him. And over time, if they built up something close to a friendship, he might be able to work up the nerve to tell her. And by that point, maybe she wouldn't be so disappointed? But he was getting ahead of himself. Mia was probably still not on speaking terms with him after last night, although she  _ did _ say she didn't mean all those insults… Regardless, Jordan needed something other than a sincere apology to soften the blow. Initially, he had come up with the crazy idea to tell her that he ran into her date on the way out - but he quickly trashed that concept, he had hurt her too much already to want to add to the pain. So he decided on ice cream instead. He didn't remember her mentioning any favorite foods in her letter, so he figured that ice cream would be a safe option. Everyone likes ice cream, right?  _ Unless she was lactose-intolerant…  _

Jordan didn’t allow himself to linger with that thought for too long, he wasn't about to psych himself out of doing this. So, he made his way over to Mia's house, trying to formulate an apology that she would accept. He honestly didn't know where he stood in her mind, both as Dear Friend, but also as Jordan. However mad she was at him, she must be even more devastated about Dear Friend, assuming she was as charmed with him as he was with her. Jordan still couldn't believe that they were one in the same. At first, he  _ really _ couldn't believe it. And he was still in shock, for the most part. But, admitting only to himself, he could recall times when Mia’s qualities reflected those of his Dear Friend. Her charming wit,  _ when they weren't fighting _ , was quite endearing. And her love of literature and academics,  _ when they weren’t busy competing _ , was very impressive.  _ I've just been too busy judging her to really _ look _ at her…  _

Jordan did his best to clear his thoughts, walking up the driveway to knock on her door. _ Here goes nothing…  _

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Mia had decided, much to her own distress, to stay home that day. It would mean breaking her perfect attendance record, but there was no way she could go to school in the state she was currently in. Her curly hair had become unruly with the tossing and turning the night before, and her neatly done makeup had become smudged with her tears. She was currently buried under several piles of blankets, and had yet to move from her comfortable position on her bed. Mia knew she couldn't hide from Jordan forever, but she felt like her problems were at least minimized under her cave of blankets. 

Suddenly, Mia heard a soft tapping at her door. “Mia?” she heard a quiet voice say. Slowly, she peaked out beneath her covers, only to see  _ Jordan,  _ of all people standing at the entrance of her room. 

“Your, ah- Mom let me in.”

She almost let out an exasperated scream at the sight. The very  _ last _ person she wanted to see, was standing here, in her  _ room _ . Before she was able to let out any kind of argument, Jordan spoke. 

“Listen, Mia, I- I know that I'm the last person you want to see right now” _ Took the words right out of my mouth _ “But, please just- just let me, say what I need to say and then I'll leave you alone. I promise.” 

She said nothing, but gave him a small glance to let him know he could continue. 

“Mia - I know that you and I have never been the best of friends, and I know my actions and behavior is largely to blame for that… But I really would like to ask you, as a classmate, as a guy who makes a lot of mistakes- please forgive me. Not just for what happened last night, but for everything. I realize now, I've done a lot to hurt you. And I'm so sorry. I know it's a lot to ask, I can hardly forgive myself - so... I understand if you won't either.” Mia could see the visible pain on his face, and it looked genuine. She knew she should accept his apology but at the same time… She couldn't help but think that it was all his fault for ruining her date with Dear Friend. Mia gave him one last look before burying herself back into her covers. 

Jordan shuffled awkwardly over to the side of her bed. 

“I- uh,, I brought you something.” He said, clearing his throat and holding up a little brown bag. 

Mia couldn't help but move the covers to get a better look. 

“What is it?” she said, a disgruntled tone still present in her voice. 

“Its, uh- its vanilla ice cream.” She saw Jordan give a weak smile, shifting his eyes around the room, looking anywhere at her mascara smudged face.  _ Well I can't turn down ice cream _ she thought, quickly snatching the bag from his grasp. 

“Vanillas my favorite. How did you know?” She said, a biting tone to her words, but surprised at the kind gesture. 

Jordan let out a small chuckle “Lucky guess?” 

_ That was awfully nice of him…  _

“Did he- um. Did he ever show up? Your friend, that is.” Jordan asked, his demeanor still uncomfortable. 

Mia took a deep breath. She was still hurt by Dear Friend not showing up - and realistically, she knew it wasn't Jordans fault. 

“No. He didn't. It was probably all a joke or something. Did I tell you the whole thing was through that stupid Lonely Hearts Club app? He's probably stolen my identity or something…” Mia couldn't believe she was telling Jordan all that, but she hadn't realized how much she needed to get this all off her chest. “It's over though, so I'm fine. I deleted the app, I blocked him, whatever. It's my own fault for thinking we had something _ remotely _ real.” She looked up to see Jordans expression of what appeared to be horror. “Oh you think I'm crazy too? See, this is why I didn't tell anyone, I mean, I can hear how crazy this sounds as im  _ saying _ it-”

“No nono, Mia - it's not crazy. It's nice, actually - that you had such a-uh,  _ connection _ , with this guy.” Jordan interrupted, moving over to sit beside her on the bed as she ate her ice cream. He cleared his throat and looked over at her, a trace of concern donning his features. 

“Maybe- maybe he was too nervous to meet you. Maybe he didn't think he was good enough for you and he.. ran away.”

_ Good enough for me? Will wonders never cease…  _

“Oh Jordan, I don't know about  _ that- _ ”

“Well I do.” He cut her off, with more sureness in his voice than Mia had ever heard. ”Because anyone who has ever known you, understands how special you are. And, I don't know, maybe he saw that. And he got scared.” 

Mia felt another round of tears threatening to run down her face, but she would soon rather dig her own grave than cry in front of Jordan.  _ Where on earth is he getting all this from? Has he always been this kind, and I've just never seen it? _

“I- I don't know what to say.” Mia replied, because it was  _ true. _ How was she supposed to respond to that? 

“You don't have to say anything. Listen I- I've overstayed my visit Mia, I should probably get going. And I hope you feel better.” He said, giving her knee a small pat and adjusting himself to get up. 

“No, Jordan wait-” Mia practically yelped, grabbing the cuff of his coat. He looked back at her in surprise, and his cheeks tinged pink. 

“There's some things I need to tell you too. You shouldnt be the one apologizing, I feel so bad for my behavior last night, and- I am so  _ so sorry _ Jordan. What I said to you was the farthest thing from the truth, I was just so nervous about meeting Dear Friend and I think- in a way I was scared he wouldn't like me. And bringing people down is my terrible coping mechanism for boosting my own fragile ego, and I never should have said it, and _ i'm sorry _ -” Mia had barely taken a breath the whole time, and her tears came fast before she could continue. 

Without hesitation, Jordan rushed over to her side and wrapped his arms around her. He just sat there and held her as she cried, one hand cradling her head and the other rubbing soft circles on her back. Instinctively, Mia hugged him back even tighter - letting herself get lost in the embrace, and allowing her tears to flow freely. 

5 minutes must have passed before the two broke apart, and Mia strangely felt better than she had just a few hours before. As Jordan moved back, she felt his thumb graze over her cheeks ever so lightly to brush away the fallen tears. Mia slowly opened her eyes and met Jordans’ - who had a look on his face so full of emotion, she couldn't describe it. They sat there, just a breath apart, for a few moments - before Jordan gave a small smile. Mia let out a watery chuckle as she tried to cover up the blush that was creeping across her face. 

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“Well,” Jordan said, cleaning his throat - the moment broken “I really should be going, I hope- I hope we can be friends, Mia.” 

“Of course. Yes, Jordan - I'd like that.” She responded, tilting her head away from him shyly. 

He let out a small sigh of relief, and couldn't help but bear a big grin - after all, friends was a huge step in the right direction.  _ Maybe I should just tell her now and get it over with- Nope. Not today Jordan, slow down.  _

As he turned to leave, Mia stopped him again. 

“Jordan- can I tell you something quite sincerely?”

He gave a small nod, indicating her to continue. 

“I like you, Jordan - really I do. Thank you for coming today, you really made me feel a lot better.” He saw her give one of the first genuine smiles he thinks he's ever seen. Then she ducked her head again, and he took it as his cue to leave. 

“Thank you Mia, I- I like you too. I hope you feel better.” He said, giving a small grin and a wave as he closed the door. 

Jordan made his way out to his car, and he could barely contain his happiness. _She likes me?!?!_ _She… loves? Me?_ Although neither of them had said it, in those exact words, their interactions on the Lonely Hearts Club app were clear evidence of the fact. But she didn't know that he was the same guy as the guy who she thought was Dear Friend, who she was currently… not on speaking terms with?… Well, he would have to worry about that later. For now, he knew that Mia liked the in-person him, so he was halfway there. And maybe, just maybe, he could work up the nerve to tell her who he _really is_ … 

As he drove home, Jordan thought back on all that had happened with Mia that day. He started the day thinking she hated his guts and wanted him dead - but not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined her  _ apologizing? _ Jordan was afraid that he had crossed the line hugging her like that, but he just couldn't help it - he hated to see her so upset and not  _ do _ anything about it. And it seemed to have helped a little - she accepted the hug nearly as quickly as he gave it. A pleasant warmth spread in his stomach at the thought.  _ She loves me… will wonders never cease?  _

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As soon as Jordan left, Mia knew she had to write back to Dear Friend. Jordans words gave her all the confidence she needed.  _ He really thinks I’m special? Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde indeed… _ As Mia tried to compose her response, which included a lot of explanations for blocking him, her mind had a hard time staying on the matter at hand. Thoughts of Jordans arms around her flooded her memory, and she found herself typing in gibberish.  _ Focus Mia. I have to make sure this sounds like a sincere apology. Maybe then Dear Friend and I could try again? _ But it was only a matter of minutes before she caught herself thinking about Jordan again. How he went out of his way to bring her ice cream, his heartfelt and touching explanation of how sorry he was,  _ how nice he looked _ \- Mias face flushed crimson at that last revelation. She couldn't possibly find her sworn enemy…  _ attractive _ ? Maybe she really  _ was _ sick… Mia decided her letter to Dear Friend could wait another day. Her head would surely be in a better place by then. But, in the meantime - a little daydreaming with a side of vanilla ice cream couldn't hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! Any and all feedback is very much appreciated :)
> 
> I honestly don't l o v e when georg makes up the fact that he saw dear friend just so he can boost his own image.... I understand why he did it, but I didn't want Jordan to do that in this AU. And also?? they needed to hug for Reasons. So there. And as for the next couple of chapters, I plan to diverge from canon a bit more in respects to how Mia finds out, so stay tuned! Thanks to everyone who has left kudos or comments, or even just read the fic and had a good time! <3

**Author's Note:**

> So thats the first chapter! Again, please feel free to leave some constructive feedback - I literally do not know what I'm doing! This was just a fun idea that I had, and writing it had been a lot of fun so far. In the future, I'd like to write some fic on the OG Georg and Amalia in - so stay tuned? Possibly? There is so little She Loves Me fanfiction, so I'm happy to add in any way I can! Thanks for taking the time to read :)


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